Finding bottom in Howe Sound

OnTick

Active Member
Anyone else have trouble finding bottom in Howe Sound? My finder goes crazy up there, but everywhere else it seems fine.

Same thing happens when up Indian Arm.
 
I don't but I also have an upgraded ducer. I find most of the ducers that come standard with gps units are usually junk or more for lake fishing.
 
Try reducing your sensitivity and also changing your beam angle if you have the option. Narrow beam is more specific
 
Anyone else have trouble finding bottom in Howe Sound? My finder goes crazy up there, but everywhere else it seems fine.

Same thing happens when up Indian Arm.
Any power lines in the area, overhead or submerged. I think I've had issues if they're close by with older lowrance sounders in the past.Never noticed it with Garmin or humminbrd sounders so much.
 
Any power lines in the area, overhead or submerged. I think I've had issues if they're close by with older lowrance sounders in the past.Never noticed it with Garmin or humminbrd sounders so much.

Don't remember the model by chance? My new to me gps/sounder is a Lowrance and I fish near some power lines,
 
I have a 07 raymarine e120 with a p66 and I have issues around between passage and Cowan pt off bowen and a little in the sound
 
Try reducing your sensitivity and also changing your beam angle if you have the option. Narrow beam is more specific

Gonna try that narrowing the beam down ..i lowered the sensitivity and still the same , loose bottom all the time in the sound in not that deep of water either ..
Elite 7chirp with p66 ... weird only there , maybe the sharp quick drop offs has something to do with it ..
 
my hds12 loses bottom as well. Both lowrance 50/200 and P79 ducers I run can seem to figure it out. I think its the drop offs are steep hard rock and the sonar just bounces off in the wrong direction. Your not the only one with this issue.
 
are we talking at all speeds. depending
on what makes up the water column
and that of course includes the bottom
there may be a good reason. bubbles
debris plant life and even temperature
can have an effect. i am no expert
but have experienced the same issues
with similar findings across a wide range
of conditions....always curios as to why
 
are we talking at all speeds. depending
on what makes up the water column
and that of course includes the bottom
there may be a good reason. bubbles
debris plant life and even temperature
can have an effect. i am no expert
but have experienced the same issues
with similar findings across a wide range
of conditions....always curios as to why

Doesn't seem to matter for me. Sometimes trolling speeds are worse.
I might stop trash talking my finder setup now it seems this is common.

Does anyone have a setup that works well in areas like that? I'm curious to know what your running. Unit and Transducer..
 
Doesn't seem to matter for me. Sometimes trolling speeds are worse.
I might stop trash talking my finder setup now it seems this is common.

Does anyone have a setup that works well in areas like that? I'm curious to know what your running. Unit and Transducer..
Hds10 hds8 with p79
 
p66 should still be good for 500'+ see what you have your depth ranges set to ?
running simrad gen 1 nss-8's had more issues with chrip ss-175 High & Lowwith bsm-2 than p66
 
wildthing has a good point with settings.
targeting depth range would help
when working deeper depths.
 
I totally agree. On any depth sounder I've owned manually setting the depth range results in a more reliable bottom lock than leaving it on auto. The older Lowrance unit I was referring to earlier would also lose bottom lock if the voltage output from the battery wasn't totally at max. Some kicker charging systems don't have a very high output and with a stereo and other electronics running while the motor was off during bottom fishing I'd notice issue with holding bottom lock on that sounder. It didn't take much of a voltage drop to affect it. It took me a while to clue in that was what was happening, as it would happen even if the motor was charging all day sometimes. It was a finnicky unit for sure, I've never experienced the voltage issue on any other sounder.
 
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found a couple of pics
fishing at the hump p66 showing depth @ 493' and running speed at 22 mph back in
166.jpg


172.jpg
 
Any quality sounder/transducer shouldn't have any trouble holding bottom in 5-600 feet at trolling speeds. If you are not getting bottom at trolling speeds something is the matter. Check your sounder is level, check for damage, make sure the water flow meeting the transducer isn't aerated.
 
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